aTTEMPT, tO DO SOMETHING, uHH, mANLY
by Black-Neko-Chan
Summary: In which Tavros attempts to do something manly and save the day, feels discouraged at first but then finds confidence, actually succeeds in what he set out to do, earns a kiss in the process, and oh yeah maybe flushed feelings.


Hello! Yay first fanfic for the Homestuck archive! And I honestly do not care if Tavros and Vriska is an unpopular ship, I'm going to write it anyways! So please tell me how I do, and where I need work, because I have a multi-chap fic in mind that I would love to write!

In other words, I have been without internet for like a month and a half, and have not been able to read Homestuck. So. If this fic no longer fits into the stuff that had been going on with Tavros and Vriska, I do not care. Pretend that it still does.

**Disclaimer: **I certainly do not own Homestuck or the marvelous characters in it.

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Tavros: Do something manly.

You're uhh, not really sure you can do that. Manly… isn't really a thing you are. That's more Equius' department, along with being strong, and… stuff. You like to think that you're the cute one who uhh, well, doesn't do the type of think you're seriously thinking about doing.

You're not sure why this sounds like a good idea. You think it might be coming from that boost of self-esteem and confidence you got from Vriska when the two of you were forced into a body together. That, and, well, maybe you're a little angry..? For some reason, the thought that this… orange guy had been following Vriska around, well, it makes you feel strange. You're not really used to feeling uhh, anger, and the only time you're pretty sure you really felt it was when.,. when you tried to stop Vriska, before she killed you. Yeah. But what you're feeling now is really similar to then, and so you're pretty sure that this is anger and now it's making you do things you're really not sure you want to do.

Like march up to the orange guy. Of course, you're not really, well… _marching_, per se, because you're kind of stooped over and more concerned with looking small than actually appearing intimidating. But the orange guy is pretty scary! He looks like one of those human things you were trolling when you caught a look at them from the Trollian viewport, but he's kind of… different, too. He looks pretty unassuming, but he's still making you nervous… It feels like, well like he's somehow got a great deal of power over the path your life takes. Which is, weird, but… You don't want to mess with him. Just uhh, just in case.

The only problem with that is that your feet are still moving towards him. Stupid feet! Stop moving! You look over at Vriska to make sure she's not doing anything to you with her mind powers, but she'd just looking back at you with a faintly expectant look on her face. Oh great. And you're in front of the orange guy.

"Uhh, listen you, you… you guy! We're uhh, we're going to, to have some words!" Not the best way to start, but the human thing has stopped hiding behind the outcropping of rocks and is looking at you. So, that's good, right?

"I believe you mentioned having some words to say?" the orange guy prompts, startling you and making your cheeks heat up just a bit. You were just trying to figure out for yourself what to say next. Well…

"So I've heard that uhh, that you've been following, following Vriska around. Is that uhh, is that correct?"

"Well, it depends on your definition of following. If you mean to ask if I happened to have been going in the same direction as this young troll lady, then yes, I have. If you mean to ask if I've been closely trailing this same young troll and diving behind rocks, dunes of sand, and the occasional tree to avoid being noticed, then yes, I've been doing that as well."

"Uhh…"

"I toooooooold you! He's annoying and he won't leave me alone!" Vriska says from your left. She has apparently joined in the conversation as well now. That's only making you _more_ nervous, because now _everyone_ is looking at you and expecting you to do something, and now you're really going to have to, at this rate.

Uhh… well… you, you need to stop! Yeah, stop that!" you say, and your voice actually sounds pretty darned strong and maybe your non-existent self-esteem has gone up a bit. Maybe you can actually do this!

"Why?" the orange guy says, and it all comes crashing down around your horns. There's a bit of your paltry self-esteem now, dangling off the tip.

"Well, uhh, because, that's—"

"Yeah, Tavros! Tell him why! Give it to him good!" Vriska chants beside you. She's really getting fired up by all this. And you're… not. This is beginning to look like the stupid decision you knew it was from the start. But your captive audience is waiting, and as much as you don't want to, you've got to say something.

"Because, uhh, she doesn't want you to! She… she thinks you're really annoying, and, and, troublesome! So, you should just, leave! Yeah, get out of here and leave!" you say, and that's the best you've got.

No one says anything for a bit. They're both kind of busy staring at you. And it's awkward, sure, but this is better than when they open their mouths and say the words that will bring your already sub-par opinion of yourself to new and exciting levels of low. If you could just… freeze this one moment…

"Tavros. What was that?" Vriska is the first to speak, which isn't very surprising. She's always jumped at any chance she gets to berate you.

"Uhh—"

"You're not very good at this, are you?" the orange guy questions. It's a rhetoric question, but you can't help but nod. Which only makes it more apparent to the people here that you're out of your league.

"Well then. If you're done trying to defend the lady's honor, I'm going to keep right on following her." And with those final words, the orange guy walks right past you like you don't even matter (because you don't, you just sort of proved that), and heads on over to Vriska. Vriska looks instantly annoyed.

They begin to converse with some rather animated gestures, and you're torn over what to do next. You're trying not to overhear their conversation, which is pretty hard to do, with them right next to you. They're talking about…magic? You don't know what that has to do with stalking, but you could sure use some right now. Too bad it's not real, or it could make you disappear and stop feeling so useless.

Vriska's starting to get that look in her eye that means danger. Well… not really, since she's dead and all, and her eyes are just a blank white stare, but you've seen that look so many times that you can recognize the telltale crinkling of her nose and brow. Whatever the orange guy is saying, he must be really persistent. And now, while you still feel kind of dumb for thinking that you could have stopped the orange guy from following her around, you're also feeling that unfamiliar anger emotion again. You don't want this guy to be following Vriska, which is, well which is strange, to say the least. You know that even if she _did_ apologize, you shouldn't really _forgive_ her for killing you, but you've been dead for a while, and you've always been pretty forgiving, and…

And you really just wish Rufio were real instead of being the fakey fake that he is. Rufio would be able to start some real sick fires and wreck that orange guy. But Rufio isn't real, and you're just Tavros, and you still don't know what to do. There are so many things shifting through your think pan right now, and you're still feeling all these weird emotions, like that sort of anger, and this… squirmy, sort of feeling in your pit, and you want to do something, but you don't know what, because you've never really _done_ anything.

Vriska looks like she's about ready to pull our those dice of hers and use them, and you don't really want a big fight to break out, so you decide to try your luck again. Maybe you'll have gotten enough from Vriska that it will make a difference? At least that's what you're hoping. Vriska _does_ have all the luck, after all.

"Hey, uhh…"

No one pays any attention to you. That's… not really that surprising. No one ever really pays much attention to you. Why did you think you could do something, again? This was all just really silly, wasn't it? Maybe you should just leave before the fighting really gets bad.

You're turning and you're about to leave, but then you hear Vriska call your name. Well, she actually calls you by that nickname you really don't like, Toreadork, but it's still you she's referring to, so you stop and listen.

"Whaaaaaaaat, are you just going to run and leave a pretty girl like me all by yourself, Toreadork?" Vriska calls over at you. Well that _is_ what you were going to do, but now you stop. Because maybe she's making fun of you and teasing you like she always does, but, she _noticed_ you. She noticed that you were leaving. And, she said something about it. That shouldn't make you happy, not really, but it kind of does. It's nice for people to acknowledge you, and, you like it when Vriska does. It makes you feel that weird tingly feeling again.

"Oh, I wasn't going to…"

"Then get over here and help out, jeez!"

So you're over by the two of them again. The orange guy still isn't really paying you any mind, but Virska's looking at you again now, and it's not because she expects you to screw up big time, because you know that look, and this one isn't that. Which is kind of… nice, in a way. She's really like, hoping you'll help in some way, isn't she? It looks like it, anyways. You can't let her down again. You know this more than anything. Not because she'll get angry with you (though she will, probably), but because you don't want to disappoint her, for whatever reason.

"Oh, so you're back," the orange guy says. He's perfected the art of nonchalance. He doesn't even bat an eye at your arrival.

"Uhh, yeah, and this time you're going to, uhh, listen!" you say. You'll never be as confidant as Vriska, but that wasn't half bad. He's actually looking at you now, which is good, as far as you're concerned. Maybe you can make something happen this time around.

"So, I'm only going to, uhh, say this once, so, listen up!" you say. The orange guy is still looking at you, so you keep going. "I want you to, leave Vriska, uhh, alone! Stop following her around!"

"Or what?" the orange guy questions.

"Uhh?" This poses as a bit of a problem. You haven't really thought this far ahead. You guess you were hoping that he'd, just listen and leave?

"Or what?" the orange guy continued. "Are you going to do something about it? Maybe threaten me with something of substance, like physical violence. You know, something that will frighten me real good and make me want to leave the lady alone." If you were anyone, but you, this would be the time where you would do just that. Show him a bit of muscle and frighten him off. But the thing is, you are you, and while you have some muscle in your arms from pushing that chair, they're really not anything, well, impressive. You won't be scaring anyone off anytime soon. What you have is just you. And strangely enough, you're feeling pretty confident about that. Maybe it's because Vriska is still looking at you like you mean something, or because you're still feeling her own confidence from when the two of you were one body. Whichever, you're not going to question it. You're fine right now.

You walk right up to that orange guy and poke him square in the chest, a move you've seen in your favorite troll action movies and have only dreamed of doing. It would have been exactly like one of those scenes, if you hadn't faltered just a bit after, but your own boldness surprised you.

"Now listen. I'm not going to, frighten you off, or uhh, anything. I'm going to tell you to, leave Vriska alone, because if you don't, I will be forced, uhh, to do something drastic," you say. You have no idea what you're going to say before you say it. The words are coming to you as you speak them, with no forethought at all. First time for everything. And you're feeling good about them, no worry, no second doubts. It's pretty nice, actually.

"Oh, are you? Like what?" the orange guys asks. He's not worried yet, but he's still listening to you, which is still good.

"I don't really know yet," you admit. Because you don't. "I'm not, uhh, very good at fighting, or much of anything. But, I won't let you, continue to bother Vriska. Not if, uhh, she doesn't want you to, and, she doesn't. So uhh, what are you going to do? Leave by yourself? Or, am I going, to have to make you?"

The orange guy smiles. Sort of. He's more condescending than merry, or happy.

"Okay," he says. "I'll leave." He's amused, not frightened, but if he's going to leave, then, that's a victory for you. And he does leave. He takes one more action, does a weird wink thing with his eye, at Vriska, and it makes her growl, and narrow her eyes like she does when she's _really_ angry. That in turn makes _you_ angry, but he's gone before it really matters. And then it's just you, and Vriska, and suddenly you're worried all over again.

"Woooooooow Tavros. I didn't expect that from you at all! Guess you can be aggressive when you need to be!" Vriska says, swaggering up to you. She speaks in that manner she has of talking where she makes you feel little and insignificant, and like even though you know you did something good, you still messed up somehow.

"Uhh, I guess?"

"You guess? You blew that guy out of the water! I didn't think you had it in you, Toreadork!" Neither did you, when it comes down to things.

"I guess I just, didn't like him following you, is all." You say, because that's what it was. You wanted him away from her. Which is… strange, in more ways than one. First, no one ever really wants to see Vriska, if they can help it. Then, you usually didn't want to see Vriska either. But things are kind of different now. You've been dead for a while, and it's just nice to see someone, even if it is Vriska. Especially if it's Vriska. You've got more history with her than anyone else.

"My heeeeeeeero," Vriska croons. You're blushing. You don't want to be, but you are. She gets closer, and you can't help but to move away. Whenever she's close to you, it always results in some form of harm. Always.

But she's not letting you move away. She's getting closer and closer, and you've got the whole ruined landscape to run away to, but she's got you pinned up against an invisible wall and even though there's nothing there, you're going nowhere. She's dead, but she's close enough that you can just picture the cerulean of her eyes that used to be there.

"You want to run away, huh, Tavros?" she asks. She's making fun of you again, but the very fact that she _is_ asking steals away your ability to do just that. Because you _do_ want to run, but Vriska never, ever, asks. She takes. But she isn't.

"No, I guess that, uhh, I'm not," you say.

"Ooooooooh. Interesting," Vriska responds. Her dead blank eyes are sparkling. "So what do you believe I'm going to do to you?"

You've got a pretty good idea, you guess. The last time she was ever this close to you was so long ago, but you still remember it clearly. It was just like Vriska to steal away your first kiss. Gamzee had never been sparing about his suggestions of sloppy makeouts in the past, but you'd always wanted to wait until you had some real confidence and no longer needed Rufio, or until you were able to maneuver successfully around your own hive, without bumping into walls, and sharp corners, and causing the occasional mess. Vriska sort of ruined that dream. Vriska ruined a lot of dreams, not that you think about it.

"Uhh, I'm not really sure," you say, though you're pretty sure you do know, and your face is burning a dull orange, and Vriska's smiling at you, like she's sure she knows that you're thinking, but she's not saying anything.

"Last chance to leave, Taaaaaaaavros," Vriska calls out. But the fact that she's still giving you that chance holds you right where you are. Maybe this was her plan all along. It's working, though. This new Vriska fascinates you. It might be because you've been dead for so long, and haven't seen anyone. But you aren't going anywhere.

She grabs you like she did that last time, and then you're feeling her lips against yours, and it's been a while, but the sensation is still pretty familiar. It's not something you forget. And it's nice, sure, but, you're kind of wondering, what's her aim, because Vriska always has a reason behind her actions. Only you've got no idea what it could be, this time around.

When she leaves you, you are none the wiser. You're pretty sure that, if you tried to move, you still wouldn't get very far. Not that you're trying to move. You're mostly just, staring at Vriska, and realizing that even now, she's kind of pretty, and it sure is nice to see someone after it's been so long.

"Uhh, why did you, uhh… uh, do that, Vriska?" you manage to ask. Your stuttering had never been worse. She sort of waves the question off.

"Well I had to give you _some_ reward for not being a cowardly little baby like usual," she says. Her words sound like they normally do, but even she seems a little unsteady about all this. This strikes you as hilarious, that even Vriska could be nervous, but you're feeling too much of that same emotion to really laugh.

"Oh, uhh, thanks," you squeak out instead. Vriska sort of frowns, and you're wondering what you did to anger her now, but then, real quick, she leans in and kisses you again, then punches you, roughly, in the arm.

"Oww!" you complain, hand flying to the spot where she hit you. You don't rub too hard, because you're staring at her instead, almost positive, that on those pale cheeks, you saw the hint of a cerulean blush.

"You're so stuuuuuuuupid sometimes, Tavros," she says.

"Uhh…" You're… not really sure how to respond to that. Just another facet of Vriska you're sure you'll never understand, you guess.

The girl herself is walking forward, leaving you behind, and you didn't even notice. Now that you have, she stops, waits, and looks at you in a way that you're pretty sure is half-annoyed, and half-expectant, like she figured you would do this sort of thing.

"Well Toreadork, are you coming?" she asks, hand tapping impatiently against one jutting hip.

"Coming, uhh, where?" you ask. If she weren't dead, you know she'd be rolling her eyes.

"To wreck their shit!" Vriska exclaims, like it should have been obvious. "I already toooooooold you, I'm sick of being their puppet! So now we're going to mess up _all_ of their plans!"

You're not really sure how you're going to do that, or if it's even possible, but you do know that, it kind of sucks being alone. So you head off after Vriska, who's going on about all the irons she has in the fire, and life, or death, is pretty good.

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Yay fanfiction end. Okay! So please leave me a review, tell me if you liked it and what needs work! How were the characters portrayed? Accurately? Jeez, usually I'm a bit more interesting down here, but I guess I just don't have it today. Well anyways, again, please remember to review! Thanks!


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